Sebastian Vettel didn’t wear his “Canada’s climate crime” helmet during the Canadian Grand Prix, and Aston Martin have denied they played a role in the decision.
The German hasn’t been shy when it comes to using his platform to bring attention to various environmental issues.
During the opening two days of action in Montreal, Vettel wore a helmet and accompanying T-shirt that bear the slogans “Stop mining tar sands” and “Canada’s climate crime”.
He reverted his ‘No War’ helmet design for the Grand Prix, and Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has denied the team had any role in the decision.
“No, no,” said Krack when asked about the matter. “I mean, he wanted to create awareness with the T-shirt and the helmet.
“And then at one point, he decided the awareness is created, let’s say, and that was it, and took it off. And he cannot wear the same T-shirt every day!
“He informs us normally what he’s doing and then we agree how to do it. Normally, you have seen in past weeks, that it was mainly a Friday thing or Friday, Saturday and then also here.
“But he’s free to decide. We talk about it.”
However, when Vettel asked about whether Aston Martin had played a role in the decision after the race, he told Sky Sports F1: “Do we have any other questions?”
Vettel called hypocrite by politician
The four-time World Champion was called a hypocrite by Alberta minister for energy, Sonya Savage, over his views.
“I have seen a lot of hypocrisy over the years, but this one takes the cake,” she wrote on her Twitter account.
“A race car driver sponsored by Aston Martin, with financing from Saudi Aramco, complaining about the oil sands.”
Aston Martin are sponsored by Saudi Aramco, which is reportedly the world’s largest polluter.
When asked about the criticism, Vettel agreed his views are hypocritical, but said the personal attack distracts from the real issue at hand.
“I’m a little bit disappointed that politicians jump on a personal level because it’s not about me, it’s not at all about me, it’s about the bigger picture,” Vettel said.
“Yes, I am a hypocrite doing what I do for a living or doing what I love. We all have different passions, this is the way I sort of paint my canvas.”
